Combined table and chair for infants



Nov. 8, 1960 J. A. BUCK 2,959,211

COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR FOR INFANTS Filed Jan. 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. A. BUCK COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR FOR INFANTS Filed Jan. l0, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

JAMES A; Buc K Nov. 8, 1960 J. A. BUCK 2,959,211

COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR FOR INFANTS Filed Jan. 1o. 1955 s sheets-sheet :s

IN V EN TOR.

JAMES A. Buc K UnitedSfaSPatefOf;

COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR FOR INFANTS James A. Buck, 5115 Cabanne, St. Louis 13, M0.

Filed Jan.,10, 1955, Ser. No. 480,737

7 Claims. (Cl. 155-123) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in furniture and, more particularly, to a combined table and chair adapted for use by infants as a feeding tray, play table, swing, pot chair, and the like.

Many devices have been developed and introduced to facilitate the care, teaching, and tending of small infants and such devices usually combine a collapsible-table of some sort which is equipped with a flat top having an opening in which a seat or chair is mounted. Frequently, such devices are equipped with legs having some type of wheels, rollers, or casters so that the table with the infant seated therein can be moved about from place to place. It is also considered desirable to provide the seating structure with a certain degree of freedom of movement so that the child may rock back and forth and have a feeling'of activity. The existing types of devices, however, are somewhat cumbersome and the collapsible types are diicult to fold up. Furthermore, the collapsible structures are somewhat unsteady when the child rocks to-and-fro and there is considerable resistance to movement since the child does not have any means for gripping a portion of the chair with the hands during the course of rocking movement.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an infants combined table and chair which will provide comfortable and convenient access to the chair structure for seating or removing the infant.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an infants combined table and chair having a rockable and removable swinging seat or chair which is provided with suitable handles to facilitate swinging movement by the infant and which is mounted operatively within a stable, but nevertheless collapsible, framework to provide maximum safety and convenience.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an infants -combined table and chair from which the top can be removed for cleaning purposes and to permit convenient removal of the chair structure so that the latter can be converted to other related uses.

With the above and other lobjects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets) Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of an infants combined table and chair constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2- 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the chair or seat structure which forms a part of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 6 6 and 7 7, respectively, of Figure 2;

2,959,211 Patented Nov. 8, Y1960 Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view. taken' along line 8 8 of Figure l; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9 9 of Figure 8.

Briefly described, the present invention involves a collapsible table consisting of a rectangular top frame of substantially sturdy construction in which a flat rectangular top panel is removably inserted. The top panel has a somewhat U-shaped opening into which, and through which, the chair or seat is operatively installed. The frame is also provided with four legs arranged in pairs which are pivoted in the form of X-frames when in upright or operative position and are connected for greater strength at their lower ends by transversely extending across bars. The table top is also provided with slot-like openings through which upstanding bars project. The bars are cross-connected by a decorative handle-bar and at their lower ends are rigidly connected into the seating structure so that the child, in swinging backand forth in the 4chair,lcan grasp the handle-bar and push or pull to accentuate the swinging motion. The supporting legs of the table, furthermore, are uniquely provided with a single pair of casters mountedso as to swivel about an axis which is substantiallyv coincident with the longitudinal axes of the obliquely inclined legs in which the casters are mounted, The other legs are not provided with casters, but instead form a stable, position-retaining, contact with the floor and thereby prevent unauthorized movement of the combination table and chair. When, however, the mother desire to wheel the baby to a new location, the table can belifted slightly to bring the casters into play and the table, with the baby seated therein, can be moved from place to place quickly and. conveniently. The particular angular relationship of the casters with respect to ythe floor prevents undue freedom of movement therein and contributes materially to the safety and convenience of the structure.

Y Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a combination table and chair comprising a relatively sturdy, rectangular top frame l-which includes a front rail 2, a back rail 3, and side rails 4, 5. Also rigidly secured at their opposite ends Vto, and extending lengthwise between, the front and back rails 2, 3, are spaced parallel reinforcing bars 6, 7, the latter being provided at the lower portion of their forward ends with notches 8 having downwardly presented semi-circular lobes 9, all as best seen in Figures 2 and 3 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

The front rail 2 is provided on its interior face and adjacent its upper margin with a transversely extending slotV 10 for retentively receiving the forward edge of a rectangular table top panel 11 which is shaped and sized to fit snugly within the frame 1 so that its lateral margins abut snugly against the interior side faces of the side rails 4, 5, and its rear margins similarly abut snugly against the interior face of the back rail 3 when the'forward margin thereof is engaged within the slot 10. Mounted by means of screws 12 upon the interior side faces of the side rails 4, 5, and projecting i-nwardly therefrom, are U-shaped spring clips 13 having upwardly presented inwardly converging detent prongs 14 adapted for resilient engagement with a detent fitting 15 which is riveted or otherwise securely mounted upon the under face of the table top panel 11. The detent fittings 15 and the spring clips 13 are so arranged so that the table top will be parallel to the top plane of the frame 1 and its forward edges engaged in the slot 10 and the fittings 15 are retentively engaged within the spring clips 13 in the manner shown in Figures 8 and 9. Whendesired, the rear margin of the table top panel 11 can be lifted upwardly from the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, disengaging the iittings from the spring clips 13. The table top panel 11 is, furthermore, provided along its rearward margin and centrally between its lateral margins with a relatively large U-shaped slot or recess 16 and forwardly thereof with a pair of short spaced parallel slots 17 for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Pivotally mounted on the interior faces of each of the side rails 4, 5, adjacent the rearward ends thereof are legs 18 which, when the combination table and chair A is in upright or operative position, extend angularly downwardly and forwardly approximately in the plane of the sides of the structure and terminate at their forward lower ends approximately beneath the front rail 2. At their lower ends, the legs 18 are provided with casters 19, the swivelling axis of which is substantially coincident with the longitudinal or inclined center line of the legs 18, substantially as shown in Figure 2. Approximately midway, the legs 18 are pivotally connected to legs 20 which, when the combination chair and table A is in upright or operative position, extend angularly downwardly and forwardly and, with the legs 18, form an X-frame. At their upper forward ends, the legs 20 are cross-connected by a transversely extending rod 21 preferably of round cross-sectional shape which is releasably engaged in the lobes 9 of the notches 8. At the rear lower ends, the legs 20 are rounded off slightly to provide frictional engagement with the Hoor or other supporting structure. Furthermore, the two legs 18 are cross-connected at their lower ends by a reinforcing bar 22 andsimilarly the legs 20 are cross-connected adjacent their lower ends by a reinforcing bar 23. It is to be noted in this connection that the point of engagement between the rod 21 and the lobes 9 and the point of hinged mounting of the upper ends of the legs 18 are both substantially in the same horizontal plane when the table is upright and well below the plane of the table top 11 so as to avoid any interference with. the use and operation thereof.

Provided for co-operation with, and removable disposition in, the top frame 1 is a chair B comprising a preferably rectangular seat member 24 formed of wood or other suitable material and reinforced along its lateral margin by steel bars 25. Pivotally secured to the bars 25 are forward uprights 26, 26', and rear uprights 27, 27'. Similarly connected at its opposite end to the upper ends of the uprights 26, 27, is a top bar 28 and likewise connected to the upper ends of the uprights 26', 27', is a top bar 28', the top bars 28, 28', being substantially horizontal and being respectively provided with outwardly projecting flat rectangular arm rests 29, 29', lthe latter each being provided with forward and rearwardly located apertures 30, 30', respectively. The uprights 26, 26', furthermore, project downwardly below the points of pivotal connection to the bar 25 and are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 31, 31'. Adjustably mounted between the uprights 26, 26', by means of screws 32, which extend through the apertures 31 is an L-shaped footboard 33 of more or less conventional design.

Also pivotally mounted at the rear ends of the bar 25 on a common pivot with the rear uprights 27, 27', are seat-supporting bars 34, 34', which are facewise attached to short vertical back members 35, 35', the latter being glued or otherwise rigidly secured to the rearwardly presented face of an upright back panel 36 and being abuttingly engaged on their rearwardly presented faces against a cross rod 37 which is secured at its ends in, and gteggs transversely between, the arm rest members The seat member 24 is centrally provided with a relatively large circular `opening 38 which is flanked on its under side by two outwardly spaced parallel depending track bars 39, 39', the latter being suitably channeled for f Y Y2,959,211

slidably receiving the marginal edges of a chamber pot 40, which can thus be positioned beneath the opening 38 for use in toilet-training the infant. Provided for co-operation with the seat member 24 is a rectangular seat-covering panel 41 of substantially the same marginal contour as the seat 24 and being provided upon its under face with a depending block or plug member 42 which is shaped to iit closely, but not tightly, within the opening 38, substantially as shown in Figure 7. Thus, the seat-covering panel 41 will serve to present a solid comfortable seat for the child whenever required, but can be quickly and conveniently removed when the chamber pot 40 is being used. It is, of course, evident that the chamber pot 40 can quickly and conveniently be slid into place or removed from the rear of the chair B when, as, and if needed.

Riveted or otherwise suitably secured at its ends to the uprights 26, 26', directly beneath the arm rests 29, 29', is a transversely extending relatively heavy strap 43 formed of leather, webbing or other suitable material and stitched centrally thereto is a downwardly extending crotch-strap 44 which extends, at its lower end,-be` neath the seat member 24 and is suitably secured thereto with suiiicient slack to allow for reasonable seating come fort, but, nevertheless, permitting proper safety so that the infant will not accidentally slip down and over the forward edge of the seat member 24 and fall to the oor.

Pivotally mounted upon the inwardly presented op posing faces of the auxiliary rails or bars 6, 7, are rock ing-bars 45, 45', which project upwardly through the slots 17 and are cross-connected at their upper ends by a rod 46 which is releasably held in place at its opposite ends by means of wing nuts 47 and is provided with a plurality of tubular handle-forming beads 48 which may be painted in various bright colors so as to be attractive to the infant for play purposes as well as providing a convenient hand-grip. At their lower ends, the rocking-bars 45, 45", are pivotally connected to `rearwardly extending angular links 49, 49', which, at their rear ends, are, in turn, releasably connected to the uprights 26, 26', respectively, by means of bolts 50, 50', and wing nuts 51, 51. When it is desired to remove the seat B, the wing nuts 51 are removed and the top panel 11 swung up to the angular position shown'in dotted lines in Figure 2, thereby affording suicient access to permit entire removal of the chair B. The top panel 11 will, of course, abut against the handle-forming beads 48 and thereby prevent it from complete removal. However, this will not interfere with convenient removal of the chair B. When, however, it is desired to remove the top panel 11 for cleaning or for any other purpose, this can very simply be accomplished by removing the wing nuts 47, the rod 46, and the handleforming beads 48, so that the slots 17 of the top panel 11 will pass freely over the upper ends of the rockingbars 45.

As will be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 7, the auxiliary rails or bars 6, 7, are cut away at the rearward portion of their upper margins to provide rectilinear recesses 52, 52', sized for snugly accommodating the arm rest members 29, 29'. Thus, when the top panel 11 is swung upwardly into disengaged position, the chair B can be quickly and conveniently removed or replaced simply by detachment of the wing nuts 51 and removal of the bolts 50. When removed, the chair B can be used separately as a swing simply by inserting hooks or ropes through the apertures 30. Since the swing-forming rope structure is entirely conventional and is familiar to anyone who has had any experience with children, such ropes are not shown or described herein.

When it is desired to collapse the table and chair combination A for storage or travel purposes, the forward edge of the frame 1 is swung upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, and the bar 21 is thereby disengaged from the detent lobes 9 of the Anotches 8. Thereupon, the legs 18, 20, can be pivot'ed 'With respect to each other so as to be collapsed into a lrelatively flat lying structure against the under side of `the frame 1. If desired, the chair B can be completely removed from the structure and, by swinging the back panel 36 downwardly toward the seat member 24 and 'the arm rests 29, 29', forwardly and downwardly, be 'folded up into a very compact unit.

When the table and chair combination A is in fully upright operative position, as shown in Figure 2, and an infant is seated therein, it is possible to wheel the entire structure from place to place conveniently and safely simply by tilting up the back margin of the frame so as to lift the Hoor-engaging ends of the legs 20 upwardly. The casters 19 will then support the entire weight of the structure and will operate with a somewhat limited, but nevertheless adequate, degree of castering freedom to permit both forward and rearward movement as well as turning from side to side.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination Iof the several parts of the combined table and chair adapted for use by infants as a feeding tray, play table, swing, pot chair, and the like, may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A portable baby tender comprising a top frame, a top panel mounted in the top frame and having an opening therein, a pair of spaced parallel beam-like members rigidly mounted in the top frame beneath the top panel on opposite sides of the opening, said beam-like members being provided with upwardly opening recesses, each of a length less than the length of the beamlike members, adjacent to said opening, a baby-supporting seat having arm-rests of a length substantially equal to the length of the recesses and adapted to fit snugly but removably within said recesses whereby the seat is suspended in the opening of the top panel, said top panel normally overlying said recesses and adapted to be swung upwardly without disassociation with the top frame thereby permitting removal of the seat, and a pair of legforming X-frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame and being in spaced relation to said seat.

2. A portable baby tender comprising a to-p frame, a top panel mounted in the top frame and having an opening therein, a pair of spaced parallel beam-like members rigidly mounted in the top-frame beneath the top panel on opposite sides of the opening, said beam-like members being provided with upwardly opening recesses, each of a length less than the full length of the beamlike members, adjacent to said opening, a baby-supporting seat having arm-rests of a length substantially equal to the length of the recesses and adapted to fit snugly but removably within said recesses, said baby-supporting seat having upwardly extending bars hingedly mounted at their lower ends thereto, said bars also being hingedly mounted at their upper ends to arm-rests whereby the seat is swingably suspended in the opening of the top panel, said top panel normally overlying said recesses and adapted to be swung upwardly without disassociation with the top frame thereby permitting removal of the seat, and a pair of leg-forming X-frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame and being in spaced relation to said seat.

3. A portable baby tender comprising a top frame, a top panel mounted in the top frame and having an opening therein, a pair of spaced parallel beam-like members rigidly mounted in the top-frame beneath the top panel on opposite sides of the opening, said beam-like members being provided with upwardly opening recesses, each of a length less than the full length of the beamlike members, adjacent to said opening, a baby-support- 6 ing seat havingarm-rests of a'leng'th substantially equal to the length of the recesses and adapted to fit snugly Ibut removably within said recesses, said baby-supporting seat having uprights hingedly mounted at their lower ends thereto, said uprights also being hingedly mounted at their upper ends to said arm-rests, whereby the seat is swingably suspended in the opening of the top panel, two bars being laterally aligned with respect to each other adjacent the forward margin of the seat and projecting upwardly through slots formed in the top panel, said two bars being operatively connected to the seat and pivotally secured to said beam-like members, said two bars furthermore being transversely connected at their upper ends by a handle which can be grasped by the baby and pushed to add impetus to the swinging movement of the seat, and a pair of leg-forming X- frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame.

4. A portable baby tender comprising a top frame, a top panel mounted in the top frame and having an opening therein, a pair of spaced parallel beam-like members rigidly mounted in the top-frame beneath the top panel on opposite sides of the opening, said beam-like members being provided with upwardly opening recesses, each of a length less than the full length of the beamlike members, adjacent to said opening, a baby-supporting seat having arm-rests of a length substantially equal to the length of the recesses and adapted to tit snugly but removably within said recesses, said baby-supporting seat having uprights hingedly mounted at their lower ends thereto, said uprights being hingedly mounted at their upper ends to said arm-rests whereby the seat is swingably and removably suspended in the opening of the top panel, two bars being laterally aligned with respect to each other adjacent the forward margin of the seat and projecting upwardly through slots formed in the top panel, said two bars being operatively connected to the seat and pivotally secured to said beam-like members, said two bars furthermore being transversely connected at their upper ends by a handle which can be grasped by the baby and pushed to add impetus to the swinging movement of the seat, and a pair of leg-forming X-frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame, a transversely extending rod joining the X-frames at their upper forward ends, and means for optionally locking the X-frames in open-leg forming position, said means comprising notches at the lower portion of the forward ends of the beam-like members adapted to engage said transversely extending rod.

5. A portable baby tender comprising a top frame, a top panel removably mounted in the top frame, a pair of spaced beam-like members rigidly mounted in the.

top frame, a pair of leg-forming X-frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame, a transversely extending rod joining the X-frames at their upper forward ends, and means for optionally locking the X-frames in opened leg-forming position, said means comprising notches at the lower portion of the forward ends of the beam-like members adapted to engage said transversely extending rod.

6. A portable baby tender as defined in claim 5 wherein each element of one X-frame is rigidly connected by a cross brace to the corresponding element of the other X-frame.

7. A portable baby tender comprising a top frame, a top panel mounted in the top frame, a pair of leg-forming X-frames hingedly and collapsibly mounted on the underside of the top frame, and casters swivelly mounted on the lower end -of one element in each X-frame, the lower end of the other element thereof being adapted for frictional engagement with the floor, said casters being mounted for swivelling movement about an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the X-frame element on which they are respectively mounted.

(References ou following page) References Cited in the le of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS Bugenhagen Ian. 4, 1921 Miles Sept. 1, 1931 Jones Nov. 22, 1938 Hansburg June 6, 1939 Baxter Apr. 23, 1940i Brandweu Apr. 2, 1946y Athey Nov. 16, 1948 Miller Feb. 8, 1949 v8 Krenzke OctflS, 1949 Goldblatt et al. Apr. 4, 1950 De Korne Aug. 28, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 5, 1946 Great Britain Aug. 9, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES Westwick: Popular Mechanics, February 1951, page 

